U-Choose. From Local Growers. No Minimum. Proud Member of

This page lists all of the frequently asked questions (and their answers), as entered into the system by the market managers. If you have a question not answered here, please contact one of the managers -- their contact information should appear elsewhere on these pages.

And here are some answers:

What does it cost to use this Market?

We think it’s best to be transparent about our overhead costs, instead of building them into the price of our produce.

Membership Fee
Our Market is open from November through June. You get to order from us ONCE before your annual membership fee becomes due. The website will automatically add the $80 Season Membership Fee to your SECOND order. Check out local options and compare pricing. You won’t find anything for under $100 where you can buy what you want, if you want, and as little as you want. If a membership fee is cost prohibitive, we suggest using a credit card payment to defer your payments. Effective Fall Season 2015, Membership Fees are NON-refundable. They are transferable, however. Contact Market Manager for details.

Sharing An Account
Many people ask if it’s ok to share an account and split the membership fee. Since our livelihood depends on each annual membership fee to operate, the answer has to be NO. Just an FYI: The majority of our Growers receive—and well deserve—80% of what you pay for their goods. The Market gets the remainder. This is just ONE reason why CUSTOMERACCOUNTSHARING IS PROHIBITED.

Order Fee
When you purchase $20 of produce using the online Market, you’ll pay 63 cents toward website maintenance and hosting. More exactly, it’s 3.15% per total order.

Delivery Fee
Flat rate of $10 for home delivery and $6 for picking up your order at a veggie drop spot in or near your neighborhood. Orders going outside of St. Petersburg city limits may cost slightly more. See Q & A’s section for more info.

Intrinsic value of membership
Membership in St. Pete Locally Grown has intrinsic value beyond what is listed here but you won’t discover that unless you become a member or speak to those who are. The tangible list of membership benefits in this Market Community gives you and your household access to high quality, organically grown produce from local urban farmers with whom we have built trusting working relationships, one that does not require purchase or minimum orders, access to local SME’s who are part of our business’ network, and invitations to monthly potluck socials where growers, volunteers and customers converge to build a small town farming community right here in St. Petersburg. We could charge much more for membership but we choose to make this a very INCLUSIVE local movement.

Do you deliver? Where to? How much?

We deliver on Fridays within a 9-mile radius of Northeast High School from 1130am – 630pm. We have planned an efficient delivery route, saving fuel, and keeping the cost of delivery as low as possible. We distribute our delivery schedule on Wednesday night to those who have placed an order.

We will deliver to your home or office for $10. If you want to save on delivery fees, then we have two types of pickup spots: 1) neighborhood drop spots: a customer’s home where other customers can pick up at their convenience and 2) public drop spots where we meet you at an appointed time in a public parking lot—indicated with double asterisks on our list of all available pickup spots below. Regarding public drop spots (**): Please accept this friendly guideline that we have an allocated timeframe for each drop and can only wait a reasonable amount of time for late comers to the public drop spots. If you were to miss us then you would have to drive further to catch up with us on our route. We will make all attempts to contact you, of course.

We highly recommend joining a co-op which cost just $6 for delivery. The only exception is the Bryan Dairy / Belcher location which costs $8 for delivery. Read about our Fresh Fridays Co-op Program. Let us help you connect with fellow Market members in your neighborhood OR let us help you form an office co-op. We don’t deliver to the beaches but we do meetup with folks on St. Pete’s outskirts at public drop spots.

NEW We now offer folks in Tampa an option to pickup their order on Friday in St. Petersburg (Greater Grovemont Neighborhood) from noon to 7pm.

What are Fresh Fridays Co-ops all about ?

Our Fresh Fridays Co-op Program is designed to save fuel and lower delivery fees. This document explains it all… Note: You don’t have to join a co-op to enjoy our Market goodies but delivery fees for a single order delivery are higher than that paid by co-op members.

Since you don't provide an invoice with delivery, how do I know what I owe?

Due to unpredictable delivery of items from Growers due to circumstances beyond their control, and due to growing customer traffic (yippee!) it is becoming too labor intensive to send out adjusted invoices. Plus, some folks are still forgetting to generate their delivery fee. At present, here is how we handle invoicing.

You will receive an initial invoice via email when you order online.

We do not provide a printed invoice at delivery. Our driver will tell you what you owe. If you “must have” a printed invoice you can print your own after following the steps below.

If you need to know your invoice total prior to delivery and you are concerned about overpaying, you can sign-in to your on-line Market account, click on Your Account tab and scroll down to the Customer heading. You can then click on Your Order History and a link to your most current invoice will be available at the top of that list. There you will find the amount you need to pay when you accept delivery. BE ADVISED that sometimes we don’t get all the adjustments applied prior to delivery. We regret the inconvenience this may cause you. BUT we will make the adjustments before we close out your order and allow the system to charge your credit card.

The default action is to just let us track any adjustments we apply up or down to your account and either a debit or credit will be applied to your next order. You can track how well we are doing our job by checking your customer purchase history at your convenience.

How do I cancel my order?

Whenever we commit Market dollars to Growers because you have ordered their goods, you are obligated to reimburse us for that commitment. EXCEPTION: If you SPEAK to the Market Manager BY PHONE at 727-515-9469 no later than Wednesday 11:30AM, your order can be cancelled on your behalf. Otherwise, it is too late to cancel. If you still choose to cancel after the timeframe, you are STILL responsible for paying for the goods even if you do not want to take delivery of the order. NO TEXTS OR EMAILS. PHONECALLSONLY.

How do I submit payment manually?

Sometimes there is need for a customer to pay for a purchase outside the normal Market cycle. Here is how you do it: Log into your account, go to the Your Account page, scroll down under the Customer area and locate the credit card link where you initially added your credit card. If you have a credit card on file then you will see a link that says something like “Add money into your account”. Click on that and pay the amount you owe the Market. If you don’t know what that is, then follow directions above for “Since you don’t provide an invoice with delivery, how do I know what I owe?” When in doubt, please contact Market Manager. Your funds are key to the sustainability of our Market.

What are my payment options?

Prompt receipt of your payment is important because we need those funds to pay the Growers on your behalf when they deliver the goods you order next time. Should your order invoice change due to events out of our control (infestation, etc.) we will automatically apply an adjustment to your next order.
• Pay online when you place your order with either credit or debit card from Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, JCB, or Diner’s Club. You can tie a credit or debit card to your account. The CCA requested is the last three digits on the same line where you sign the back of the card. Once the card is validated, you’ll be able to pay directly into your account and draw down over time or charge your individual orders to this card. This page is secure, and the card information will be securely stored with our payment processors. The market managers will not be able to access your card information directly. You will be able to edit or remove this card or replace it with a different one at any time. Your card does not get charged until we have applied any adjustments for items missing, etc. so multiple orders from you (in a week) will result in just one charge to your card. PLEASENOTE: We wait until late Wednesday afternoon to mark all Market orders “complete”. Once we do that, the system takes over and charges all the credit cards. We have NO access to your credit card information.
• In person, we accept cash or checks. Please make all checks payable to “ST. PETELOCALLY GROWN”. Thank you!

Unclaimed Orders: Do I have to pay if I don't pick up my order?

We will attempt to contact you on your account phone number if there are problems with delivering your order. You can assign another person to pick up for you but must notify us with their name and phone number as soon as you plan for that. If your order is undeliverable because you are unable to take delivery then it will be donated or given away. Since the growers have harvested just for you, and since we will have paid the growers on your behalf, you are still responsible for paying for items, even if you do not receive the order. We’ll charge your account for the forfeited order, and that amount is due immediately.

It is best to *SETUP A CALENDARREMINDER for delivery day. Please be available for a possible phone call on delivery day. Make sure your account phone number is a place at which we can reach you.

Will you issue a refund "no questions asked?"

We try to but we cannot always issue a refund when a customer has not taken sufficient time to read a product description before purchasing. Our Growers invest their time to put this info together for your education and safety. Their income from our Market depends on your satisfaction with their products. Remember you can always contact the Market Manager prior to purchasing if you don’t have sufficient info. Call Tina at 727-515-9469. We are also open to your email suggestions for improvement.

How do I order?

If you don’t already have an account with us, open an account, then sign in after the Market opens on Monday and place your order here on our website no later than Wednesday noon when the Market closes.

PLEASENOTE that any product you want from Geraldson Community Farm must be ordered by Monday 8pm as they are expecting orders Monday night.

Be sure to generate your delivery fee each time you order. This fee is usually sent to you by the Market Manager when you open your online account. DELIVERYFEE is actually listed as a Product under the “D’s” Click the shopping cart to add your delivery fee to the invoice. Do not forget to click the SUBMITORDER button. If you do not receive an email confirmation immediately after you order, then you did not submit your order.

Any tips for shopping online at St. Pete Locally Grown?

Check out How To Shop St. Pete Locally Grown’s Online Market with helpful tips and techniques for having a great shopping experience on our web Marketplace. This tutorial was produced by Professional Videographer Jeff Yentzer of Vibrant Health Videos who volunteers for our Market’s special projects and always delivers a meaningful result. Thank you Jeff! We so appreciate your talent and dedication. Interested parties may contact Jeff at realenergyus@gmail.com

How can I find what's new on the Market?

Our Growers are always trying to offer new items for you to enjoy so be sure to check what’s new on the Market each week from “The Market” tab. From there, the “What’s New” revolving marquis is the best place for you to see what new products have been posted this week. The default setting on the Market page is for you to see the revolving marquis’ of both “What’s Featured” and “What’s New”. Those settings can be controlled from the lower left side column of the Market page. Call Market Manager at 727-515-9469 if you need help with these settings.

Just what is this “DIRECT ORDER SERVICE ” you offer?

Here’s how it all works: Whenever you order a potted plant that is labeled as a “DIRECT ORDER”, the Grower will deliver that item to you at a convenient pre-arranged time, separate from your normal SPLG Friday delivery. There is NO COST to you for this service. The price of the plant already includes the Grower’s delivery fee. An added convenience is that you will pay for the plant(s) just as you always have, included with your regular order from us. The only difference is that you will receive an email contact from the Grower to schedule delivery. These plants are too large for our regular Friday deliveries. We are grateful to Growers who have such a passion for selling more developed plants—including exotic fruit trees—to assist customers in building sustainable & beautiful edible food forests.

How do I inspect my order?

It is important to check the condition of your order as soon as you receive it and contact us immediately if all is not the way you expect it. In rare cases, you may notice vegetables are wet; that is likely from morning dew, recent rain, or when appropriate, condensation from refrigeration. In few cases, it means we had to rinse some mud off the vegetable because of inclement weather. With our see-through plastic bags, moisture is more visible and that moisture is going to be your cue to take action. Please vent any wet bags of vegetables to let the refrigerator absorb some of the moisture or insert several paper towels into the bag to absorb excessive moisture. In some cases, a salad spinner might be the answer. If moisture is ignored, depending on the vegetable, they may begin to decline and start to mold. The more delicate the vegetable (like lettuce) the higher chance for degradation from too much moisture.

Will I have to buy vegetables I don't want?

How long will fresh cut greens last in a bag in the refrigerator?

Up to two to three weeks if they are the heavier, heartier type. From 8 to 10 days if lighter weight, like lime basil, for example. Either way, it is best to keep them from getting condensation so don’t store them against the wall of the refrigerater and—if you must—then keep the bags somewhat open so the refrigerator removes excess moisture. When all else fails and they can’t seem to stay dry enough, then place a few paper towels in the bag to absorb moisture. Change out the paper towels as needed. Don’t wash the greens until you plan to eat them. If your greens suddenly don’t seem fresh enough to eat raw, you can always cook them! They are STILL fresher than what you can purchase at a local store. I don’t use the special green bags that folks are raving about, but I hear they are pretty major in keeping things fresh. You can research those at http://www.greenbags.com/ Let us know how they work for you!

How do I cook with this produce? Do you have any recipes?

We provide links to online recipes for many of the vegetables we sell. These are posted in our community blog, which is used to discuss and compare how we prepare, cook, and consume all wares sold by this Market. Every member gets invited to Author on our Blog. We’ll even teach you how!

What are Pre-Paid Meats?

Beef
I am planning to pick up frozen beef cuts every 4 to 6 weeks from Lake Kersey Farms in Land O’Lakes. If you want particular cuts I am willing to pick those up for you. All beef orders must be PREPAID when ordered. Cuts include stew meat, London broil, liver, heart, tongue, chuck roast, shoulder roast, delmonico steak, sirloin tip roast, flatiron steaks, rib steaks, NY strip steaks, meaty soup bones, and short ribs. All pricing and weights listed are approximate and based on history of what we have purchased before from Lake Kersey Farms. Your final price will be adjusted (up or down) for actual weight prior to delivery and charged/credited to your account. If you’ve not cooked grassfed, grass finished beef before then you should know that this beef is as fat-free as a white chicken breast so it cannot be cooked like conventional beef. Please visit our Q&A page to get info and recipes on cooking this healthier choice of beef.

How much meat should I order?

Let’s figure out how to enjoy locally raised meat products! Being new at this, I’ve noticed that the amount of bone varies by type of meat and by the particular cut. How much bone should you expect in the cuts that you purchase? This link helps to identify different cuts within each type of meat and a shopping guide to each, including how much to buy. Bon appetit!

How do I cook grass-fed meat products?

We want you to have a great experience with all produce and products you purchase through our Market. Many folks are not aware that grass-fed beef is better for rare to medium-rare cooking. If you want it cooked more well done then you have to stew it on very low heat. GRASSFEDBEEFHASTHEFATCONTENT OF SKINLESSCHICKEN. Source: www.americangrassfedbeef.com. Here are some tips for successfully cooking grass-fed beef and some how-to recipes for different cuts of grass-fed beef. Here is an all purpose link with recipes for all meats, including pork. Here is a newfound link I found very helpful addressing how to cook grass-fed beef steaks both on the grill and in your kitchen. Bon appetit!

How can I help protect my order's frozen items?

We guarantee that we will deliver frozen goods to you in frozen condition. From that point—Whether you have purchased frozen goods from us before or you are just beginning to buy frozen foods from our Market—here are suggested guidelines to follow to keep your frozen goods safe—and FROZEN—once delivered to you. 1) Move frozen goods from your kitchen counter into your freezer immediately upon receipt. 2) If you leave us a cooler, please assess—on a weekly basis—how many ice packs are required for the frozen goods you have purchased. When in doubt, please contact your Market Manager at 727-515-9469. If a large volume of ice is required, then please leave multiple coolers to provide adequate space for your order. Please note that we cannot take responsibility for frozen goods once we have delivered them to your door. Also, please return loaned Market coolers and ice packs within a few days of delivery. We loan these out as a courtesy but we need them back! Thank you in advance.

How can I keep raw dairy products fresh?

How can I sell through this market?

You cannot use synthetic chemicals to fertilize or to control pests in your garden if you want to be a Grower for this Market. You don’t have to be certified organic either. Please visit this link for more info.

If you are not currently a customer, at the very least carefully read through the entire website so you have a good understanding of how we operate.

If you’ve already created a customer account, simply go to Our Growers , follow guidelines at top of page and click on ‘Join this Market’. This will add you to our system and our market manager will contact you with the next step. We charge an average of 20% of your overall sales as a “table fee” for selling through the market. Like at a traditional farmers’ market, you do get to set your own prices. Market Manager has final say on items listed for sale and will advise on pricing as needed. Email Market Manager if you want more information.

Why Support Locally Grown?

Enhance your local economy: By purchasing produce and other items from local growers you are providing stability to your local economy through the support of local businesses.

Save natural resources: Buying locally makes you an invaluable link in the process of saving resources such as fossil fuels and packaging materials. Also, we are right here in your community so the expense of transportation and delivery is kept to a minimum.

Provide learning opportunities: Locally Grown supporters provide member growers the means to help educate our community about the importance of sustainable agriculture.

Supporting a way of life: The number of small farms in the United States has decreased dramatically in the last decade. Please help us preserve an honest and worthy means of making a living.

Why do you use the term "chemical-free" instead of "organic"?

First off, no “conventional” growers are allowed to sell through our market. Everything sold here is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. But we still cannot call ourselves “organic” growers. To use the word “organic”, a grower must register through the USDA and keep up with a tremendous amount of paperwork. The process is very expensive and intensive, and certainly favors the larger factory farms over the small family farm.

Another system is Certified Naturally Grown. This nation-wide program seeks to correct the problems with the USDA certification system. The standards are just as strict (and in some cases, more so) as the USDA Organic Program, and there is minimal cost involved to become certified. There is still some paperwork, but not as much. More importantly, the growers in the program inspect each other, rather than relying on an outside for-profit certifier.

Finally, a few growers are not certified by anyone but still use organic sustainable methods on their farms. To find out more about our growers, and to see what certification, if any, they have, take a look at our Growers page.

Why are you selling items that are not locally grown or produced?

In a customer survey, many asked for fruits, nuts, and other items that are not locally grown or are tough to find. We have been told by the national network locallygrown.net that as long as the majority of our items are locally produced we can balance out our Market to provide more variety and customer convenience. This includes some international selections as well. That’s why you are now able to buy dried fruits, nuts, legumes, and even huge sea scallops for your culinary pleasure, among other things! We respect a customer’s decision to decline on purchasing international products if they are intent on purchasing only from the USA. Point of origin is designated for all international items as well as those made in USA.

Do you need Volunteer help with the Market?

Absolutely! Here are the opportunities that will bring Market experience to those who volunteer with St. Pete Locally Grown. We believe the small urban market is a growing industry and many folks are needed to make it all happen. Come learn by doing! Contact Tina Levy, Market Manager at 727-515-9469.

WE ARECURRENTLYRECRUITINGFORFRIDAY

Friday morning distribution preparation. Everything from preparing customer coolers to loading up the van for delivery shifts. Commitment is from 7:30AM until around 11am. Detail oriented.

Friday deliveries: We have three delivery shifts. Commitment is a 3-hour shift between 1130AM & 630PM. Delivery volunteers are asked to train to become a part of our Friday team and attend a 20-minute phone conference orientation at their convenience. Teams of two deliver throughout St. Petersburg, near Largo, and into Gulfport. Successful volunteers are detail oriented and like meeting people. Our delivery duos are forming bonds and meeting smiling and grateful customers excited about their vegetables.

VOLUNTEERWISHLIST

Food bloggers for Market Community blog on Google

Volunteer coordinator (recruit and train)

Education coordinator (post workshops and events)

Monthly potluck social coordinator

Photographers for volunteer activities and monthly events (socials and workshops)